The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Kings — Section 312

or "it wu mlled" (oomp. Oen. :u:v. 26; Ohron. xv. 2). And he pro1pered whithll'- mnii. 29, 80). Nehusht.an is not from i,·nl eoever he went forth ; rather, in all hu " serpent," but from nl!'ni, "braes," and goings-in cunotis ad qUBJ procedebat (Vnl• means "the li~lle brass \hing," J being a gate). Hezekiah's prosperity is enlnrged diminutive, expression of tenderness. upon by the writer of Chronicles, who so.ye Ver. 5.-He trusted in the Lord God of (2 Chron. xx.xii. 27-30), "And Hczelciah Israel Unlike Hosbea (see homiletics on had exceeding much riches 1md honour: and eh. xvii. 1-4), unlike Ahaz (eh. xvi. 7-10), he made himself treasuries for silver, cmd Hezeldah disC8.rded trust in man, and-it for gold, and for precious stones, and for may be after some hesitntion-pnt his trust spioes, and for shields, and for nll mnuuer wholly in God. This W&l!I exactly what God of pleasant jewels; stornhouses also for the required as the condition on which he would increase of corn, and wine, e.nd oil; and give his aid (Isa. xxx. 1-7), and what no stalls for all manner of beasts, and cotes for previous 1..-ing since the Assyrian troubles flocks. Moreover he provided him cities, began could bring himself to do. So that and possessions of flocks nnd herds in ahun- after him was none like him among all the de.nce: for God had given him sub.tnnce kings of 1udah, nor any that .were before very much . . . . And Hezekiah prospered him. It has been concluded from this state- in e.11 his works." Many brought presents to ment thnt, "when the merits of the kings him to Jerusalem, and he was magnified in were summed up after the fall of the the sight of e.11 the surrounding nations (see monarchy, Hezekiah wo.s, by a deliberate 2 Chron. x.xxii. 23). And he rebelled against judgment, put at the very top" (Stanley the King of Assyria, e.nd served him not. • Lectures on the Jewish Church,' vol. ii. p. Hezekiah'e "rebellion" probably took place 397) ; but, as exactly the same words are used at the very commencement of his reign, u.o. of Josiah in eh. xxiii. 25, the trneconclusiou 727, in the year thnt Shalmancser ascended would seem to be rather that Hezekiah and the throne. Most likely it consisted simply Josiah were selected from the rest, and placed in his withholding his tribute, and neither upon a par, above all the others. At first going in person nor sending representatives sight there may seem to be contradiction to Nineveh, to congratulate the new monarch between the two passages, since absolute on his accession. This would be understood pre-eminence over all the other kings is as an assertion of independence. That it ascribed to Hezekiah in one of them, to was not at once resented must be ascribed Josiah in the other; but the context shows to Shalme.ncser's difficulties with Se.maria that the pre-eminence is not the same in the and with Tyre, which were more pressing, two cases. To Hezekiah is ascribed pre- as they lay nearer to Assyria. Before these eminence in tNJSt; to Josiah, pre-eminence were over, Sargon usurped the crown. There in an ex.act observance of the Law: one ex- is reason to believe that he made at least cels in faith, the other in works; J osiah's one expedition against Hezekiah; but the whole life is one of activity, Hezekiah's date of it is unrertain. Rebellion met him greut merit lies in Lis being content, in the on all sides, and he.d to be crushed near crisiR of his fate, to "stand still, e.nd see the home before he could venture to deal with salvation of God." it on the remote outskirts of his empire. Ver. 6.-P'or he olave to the Lord-rather, Meanwhile Hezekiah strengthened himself and he da11e to the Lord; i.e. he persevered and built up a considerable power. through the whole of his life; he did not Ver. 8.-:e:e smote the Philistines. Hezc• fall into sins e.t the last, like Asa and Aza- kiah's Philistine war seems to have followed riah (eee 2 Chron. :x.vi 7-12: :x..:xvi. 16- on an attempt which Sargon me.de to bring 21)-and departed not from following him. the whole country under the Assyrian do- The writer probably considem " the princes minion. Sargon attacked Philietia in B.O. of Judah" e.nswemble for the embassy to 720, made Ge.za and the other towns subject, Egypt mentioned in Isa. :u::x.. 4, and ex- and committed the custody of them to tribu- cuses Hezekie.h's ostentations display of Lia tary kings, in whom he had confidence. But treasures to the ambas~adors of Merodach- opposition soon manifested itself. Se.rgon'1 Baladan (eh. :x..:x. 13) e.s e. wea.kaeBB, not an creatures were expellcd-Akhimiti from Ash• actual breach of obedience. :But kept his dod, Po.di from Ekron. Hezekinh assis(ed commandment&, whieh the Lord com.me.nded in this war of independence, attacked Sar- lloses. gon's viceroys, and helped the oities to free Ver. 7.-And the Lord was with him. Of tbemselvE<s. About the year u.o. 711 Sargon no other King of Judah or Israel is this speaks of a league against Assyria, to whioh Ee.id, except only of David (2 Sam. v. 10). the parties were Philistia, Judroa, Edom, It was the promiae me.de to Moses (Exod. iii. and Moab (' Eponym Canon,' p. 130). The 12), repeated toJosh111.1 (Josh. i. 5, 7), nnd by Philistines, whom Hezekiah "emote," must implication giv001 in them to all those who be regarded &11 Assyrinn partise.ns, whom he would rule his people faithfully (comp. 2 ohutised iD the interosta of the national ou. zvm. 1-37.] THE SECOND BOOK OF THE KINGS. 359